Non-Public A Final: Bergen Catholic 56, St. Peter's Prep 52 (OT)

Bergen Catholic captured its second consecutive Non-Public A state championship with a thrilling 56-52 overtime win over St. Peter's Prep in front of a spirited Rutgers crowd. Senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='2342638' first='Jaden' last='Brown'] (Fairfield) led with 26 points and Michigan State pledge [player_tooltip player_id='1595675' first='Julius' last='Avent'] added 21. St. Peter's commit [player_tooltip player_id='1595680' first='Mason' last='Santiago'] led the Marauders with 16.    Among the handful of best and most underrated guards in the state, Brown seemingly had the game in the palm of his hands from start to finish. He played with a grace and calm confidence that would have you think he was playing in the park as opposed to in a state championship game. Brown operated at his own pace off the dribble , blending in downhill drives with a series of smooth pullups or stepbacks out to the arc. The future Fairfield guard finished with 26 points to capture the state title and looks to be a true steal heading to the MAAC next year.     The top-ranked player on the floor, Avent took care of business throughout the game on his way to 21 points and a state title. The future Michigan State Spartan put together a workmanlike performance, calmly and deliberately attacking his spots off the dribble. He was able to convert smoothly over smaller defenders and also flashed his comfort stepping outside the arc as a floor-spacer from the perimeter. His ballhandling from the frontcourt offered a valuable release valve for the Crusaders guards as well, and he posed a consistent deterrent defensively around the rim against an undersized group. It wasn't Avent's smoothest game but was enough to leave with the win.     Going out with a spirited effort in his last high school game, Rosa served consistently as the heartbeat for the Marauders on both ends of the floor. The Rider commit came out aggressive, putting a ton of pressure on the rim, particularly in transition. He was effective taking calculated risks with his handle to get to advantageous spots on the floor and make plays, shifting into more of a playmaking mode in the second half. Rosa controlled the pace of the game like a veteran and showed he could keep things honest from the perimeter with a pair of smooth 3's. His ability to thrive as a pure floor general should prove to be helpful at Rider.     Santiago unfortunately didn't have his best stuff in his final high school game but still put together a gritty double-double to close out an accomplished four-year career. He was effective using his physicality and ball skills to work his way to spots near the rim where he converted with toughness in traffic. No basket was bigger than his putback of his own miss in the closing seconds to tie the game and force overtime. Santiago would finish with 16 points and 11 rebounds as the Marauders' leading scorer on the day.     Coming in off the bench, Wucherpfennig proved to have a massive impact on the game despite not registering an attempted field goal in the box score. The sophomore forward played with a level of physicality and reckless abandon that shifted the tenor of the game and caused consistent problems for a smaller SPP frontcourt. He hauled in nine rebounds and was a consistent deterrent around the rim defensively, while also showing impressive ability to move his feet and keep guards in front of him on the perimeter. Wucherpfennig's ability to thrive in his role without having to be catered to in the slightest will surely endear itself to college coaches as he builds a resumé toward the D1 level.     Coming off a 17-point sectional championship performance with five 3's, Martinez wasn't quite as hot offensively but made a notable impact on the game nonetheless. The junior swingman grinded his way to 10 points, showing his toughness as a finisher around the rim through contact and on the glass while hauling in 11 rebounds. He struggled to 1-for-6 from deep but shoots a pretty ball that leaves you thinking it's going in whenever it leaves his hands. Martinez should attract consistent scholarship-level attention moving forward and see a big spike in production next season as the Marauders' only returning starter.     It came in losing fashion and without a gaudy stat line but Ferdinand nonetheless stood out with his inside-out skillset up front. He was effective playing tough inside on the block while also stepping out comfortably as a floor-spacer in both spotup and pick-and-pop situations. Ferdinand showed an impressive ability to read the floor from the post, whipping smart passes out of double teams. He should have small-college programs knocking down his door and has a chance to impact the scholarship level down the line with his versatile frontcourt skillset.

Bergen Catholic captured its second consecutive Non-Public A state championship with a thrilling 56-52 overtime win over St. Peter's Prep in front of a spirited Rutgers crowd. Senior guard Jaden Brown Jaden Brown 6'3" | SG/PG Bergen Catholic | 2026 State NJ (Fairfield) led with 26 points and Michigan State pledge Julius Avent Julius Avent 6'6" | SF Bergen Catholic | 2026 State #88 Nation NJ added 21. St. Peter's commit Mason Santiago Mason Santiago 6'3" | SG St. Peter’s Prep | 2026 State NJ led the Marauders with 16.